In this episode with return guest David Leigh, we explore one of the most important pillars of Season 3: how learning transforms systems—and more specifically, how resilience is built not through tools or processes alone, but through the interplay of diverse perspectives, psychological safety, and evolving mental models.

What begins with a playful callback to David’s earlier storytelling episode quickly becomes a deep and wide‑ranging conversation about:

• Why resilience is fundamentally about preparing for the unexpected
• How mental models age, erode, and become outdated—and why acknowledging that is a strength
• The power of diverse representation in incident response
• Why psychological safety is the foundation for resilient socio‑technical systems
• How practices like pre‑mortems and tabletop exercises build cultural readiness
• The limitations of automation, metrics, and “preventing recurrence” mindsets
• And why learning is not simply knowledge acquisition, but a force that shapes systems themselves

David shared stories, examples, and insights that apply equally to engineering teams, organizations, and society.

In this unique episode, we sit down with Dr. Jane Goodyer, Dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University and a global leader in reimagining engineering education. From her inspiring personal journey to pioneering Canada’s first fully work-integrated digital technologies degree, Jane shares how academia and industry can collaborate to prepare graduates for the ever-changing world of work.

We explore:

• What “work-integrated learning” really means and why it matters.
• How resilience, curiosity, and empathy are critical skills for tomorrow’s engineers.
• The role of psychological safety and active learning in shaping future talent.
• Why continuous learning and breaking down silos between education and industry is essential.

Whether you’re an SRE, an educator, or a lifelong learner, this conversation will challenge how you think about skills, adaptability, and preparing for the unexpected.

Things to listen for:

Jane’s Origin Story

• Her working-class background and early challenges.

• How resilience shaped her journey.

Work-Integrated Learning Explained

• Why it’s more than internships or co-ops.

• Active vs. passive learning and why doing matters.

Resilience for the Future of Work

• Why adaptability and psychological safety are essential.

Soft Skills as Hard Skills

• Empathy, communication, curiosity, and self-awareness.

Industry-Academia Collaboration

• The Trailblazer process and what employers really want.

Continuous Learning Beyond Graduation

• Breaking silos between education and work.

Advice for Engineers

• Be curious, brave, and true to your values.

In this unique episode, we sit down with Dr. Jane Goodyer, Dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University and a global leader in reimagining engineering education. From her inspiring personal journey to pioneering Canada’s first fully work-integrated digital technologies degree, Jane shares how academia and industry can collaborate to prepare graduates for the ever-changing world of work.

We explore:

• What “work-integrated learning” really means and why it matters.
• How resilience, curiosity, and empathy are critical skills for tomorrow’s engineers.
• The role of psychological safety and active learning in shaping future talent.
• Why continuous learning and breaking down silos between education and industry is essential.

Whether you’re an SRE, an educator, or a lifelong learner, this conversation will challenge how you think about skills, adaptability, and preparing for the unexpected.

Things to listen for:

Jane’s Origin Story

• Her working-class background and early challenges.

• How resilience shaped her journey.

Work-Integrated Learning Explained

• Why it’s more than internships or co-ops.

• Active vs. passive learning and why doing matters.

Resilience for the Future of Work

• Why adaptability and psychological safety are essential.

Soft Skills as Hard Skills

• Empathy, communication, curiosity, and self-awareness.

Industry-Academia Collaboration

• The Trailblazer process and what employers really want.

Continuous Learning Beyond Graduation

• Breaking silos between education and work.

Advice for Engineers

• Be curious, brave, and true to your values.